Pictures of migrant children on fb

[FuryFowler]

Has anyone seen these pictures, of poor poor children washed up on the beaches of Libya and Greece, drowned from their failed crossing.

I know the pics are there to shock but it's devastating to see

I signed a petition the other day, which had a pic of a drowned child on the front page. I signed and shared but then felt uncomfortable about sharing such a graphic picture.

It's makes me cry what is happening there, but was I U for sharing?

I have just shared an article with an image of a boy washed up on a beach. It was in the Independent. A policeman had picked the boy up. I have signed the petition and posted another film on my facebook wall which I will link. Thats all I have done. I feel like its nothing but I did it out of respect to that poor little boy and all the other souls that have been lost at sea trying to reach safety. Its heartbreaking and I don't want him to be forgotten, I don't want to forget it. I can't believe this is happening.

This can happen to anyone

so you would let the possibility of a TINY tiny minority of possible terrorists entering the country make you turn your backs on people in need?

bad people exist everywhere - so do good people - let the good people in - the bad people are probably already here

^so you would let the possibility of a TINY tiny minority of possible terrorists entering the country make you turn your backs on people in need?

bad people exist everywhere - so do good people - let the good people in - the bad people are probably already here^

There are bad people already here, you are quite right. However, I think there is much hard work done by our policing agents to keep it under control. Letting people in who have no papers very much increases a risk. It's not a 'tiny risk' either, plenty has happened over the last few months and years to prove that sadly. The UK is a prime target, that isn't paranoia, and people have to suffer on both sides to avoid even more terrible things happening. Keeping our boarders closed to keep us safe, leads to loss of innocent life. It's awful, it makes us feel ashamed, and it's not wrong to feel these things. There has to be a way to find a long term solution, to help in a way that people do not feel they have to risk their lives to escape their homeland. That's what we need to fight for, to find a solution to.

Sorry, italics fail quoting there.

i am not ashamed to be British,
the only people who can decide what happens re refugees being giving sanctuary here are the tory government. so being ashamed to be british sounds "all about me"

Are you aware that on another thread a march is being organised by those who want to demonstrate that they want to stop this madness. Will try to link to it.

yes - thanks April www.facebook.com/events/1047978998546751/ more info

But MrsGently nobody in this country is doing anything. Camerons response has been a joke. This cannot stand, how many more drownings, how many more people suffocating in the back of lorries? As usual Angela Merkel is leading the way and showing the rest of Europe how we should be reacting.

My neighbour says the mothers with children would be fleeing because the men are forcing it on them. They won't want to be getting in boats but will have no choice.She has a lot to say and some of it isnt pleasant but I guess I listen as she too has fled a Muslim country and knows the culture. As for Isis. She made me think. Will they continue the persecution of these people in their new homelands? Isis is very much here in Europe, amongst us. Fleeing Syria won't be 'getting away from it'

I don't know the solution, but did anyone else notice how strained and quiet Cameron was on the news today? I think he's being pressured A LOT. I think we will hear better news from our government very soon

camerons response will be a joke
\what do you expect.
do you really think he cares, look at his track record

I think the government will backdown.... But there will be a sting in the tail

OK, Bear - but what exactly would you and others here, like done? What do you think the government can actually do (that does not open us up to possible threat), and what can we do as individuals that will actually help (barring the obvious donate money/food/clothing, that as pointed out, won't actually save the lives of those taking dangerous methods to access countries). Genuine question, not trying to be arsey.

How??
sorry but how can they? they have said so many times that they have to cut the welfare budget. they have targeted the most vulnerable. how can they turn round and say,"oh we can't support the most vulnerable here" but will add to the number? \surely even the sofas at number 10 only have so much money stuck down the back.

Good question gently benevolent. I'd like to ask that too, in a non arsey way.

Breaks my heart and makes me angry. I hate the way our toxic media works. I don't agree with the mass posting of these images. These are children, who have died in the worst possible way, terrified and alone. I would love to believe that the constant sharing of these images instills some kind of conscience and call to action in people, but for the most part I just think it fuels people's need for sensational images. I know people have good intentions, and I have signed the petition, but I don't share these images. I think we owe these men, women and children some dignity in death. As a parent of a child a couple of years younger, if that, than these beautiful children, I try and think of their parents. There is no way on earth in all my desperate grief and confusion, to cap it off, I would want my child's corpse splashed across social media. I just don't get it. Better, if they by some miracle survived, that they are unaware of this.
I do not joke, EVERY other post on my Facebook feed is dead child. If these children had died in any other circumstances, would we be wallpapering these pictures everywhere? Exploitation of the powerless, we begrudge them one foot on our soil, but their lifeless children are fit for us to gawp over. What does that say about the lack of empathy, respect and humanity towards these people. What does this say, these children's lives don't matter? I know most of you agree and a lot of people feel the same, I'm just devastated by it all.

I don't think Cameron will back down at all. Sadly, I am not sure that Mumsnet is representative of public opinion. Having ranted about the Daily Fail's readers upthread, it seems that the Guardian and the Independent comments are scarcely any better. When, exactly, did their readers become such rabidly right-wing, racist, inhuman arseholes? I'm sorry to say that I think Cameron's callousness is representative of the country as a whole.

samcro I suppose they will cut things further to 'afford it'

As I said, there will be a sting in the tail somewhere.

I was reading the 'adopt a refugee' thread, all well meaning, but I actually thought if Cameron read it it would give him ideas. Could see him making every single person take in refugees in order to 'afford it'. I really could

MrsGently, what you need to consider against that is the likelihood of increased levels of radicalisation of Muslims in Britain because of collective rhetoric and government policy towards both the Syria crisis and Muslim migrants in general. And to me, I'm afraid that includes 'we need to keep Muslim refugees out because one of them might be a terrorist'. I know that's not quite what you said, but it's a sentiment I've seen fairly often.

Given our recent experience of terrorist attacks, and where the terrorists came from, that risk feels much higher to me.

This is a horrible, horrible situation that is happening to real people who have been intentionally dehumanised by the way they are talked about.

There is a lot to campaign about and do. That includes lobbying the government, donating what you can where you can - recognising that the largest numbers of Syrian refugees aren't trying to get to Europe, they're living in awful conditions in camps in neighbouring countries. It includes writing to all of our MPs, because MPs do get nervy if they get a lot of post on a single issue, especially if it's not a cookie cutter campaign. By letting them and the government know that there is a mulititude of voices to counter those who would seal our borders, there is a chance to change the 'politically expedient' course of action. If you are a Labour member/supporter who hasnt voted yet, vote for a leader who wants to do something about this.

The Dublin convention needs to be ripped up so that all European countries do their bit. And one of these days when we say 'never again', we might actually try to mean it.

"samcro I suppose they will cut things further to 'afford it' "

so right

so the most vulnerable will pay.(the invisible people)
not the people who sign a petition

samcro well I don't know, maybe all parts of society are signing petitions. It's how to get things noticed isn't it?

Cameron won't just rollover and accept refugees coming here.... There will be a trade off. A few more cuts...reduced services....slashed budgets.... I don't know! But this time he will feel justified, 'because it's what the British people want and have asked for'

I don't know of course, just a hunch. We shouldn't have to be signing petitions in the first place!

Cuts to brnefits are almost all ideological rather than out of immediate financial necessity. A neat con job to make people believe that Britain is in dire financial straits so must punish the most vulnerable, both at home and abroad.

By all objective measures, Britain is a rich country.

oh we re rich
maybe someone needs to tel lthe government that.\

I think we should be helping, but I can't subject the most vulnerable here to more cuts

JassyRadlett

I never said to keep all Muslims out 'just in case' - I don't actually believe myself that all members of IS are actual followers of Islam. Some people just want to watch the world burn, as they say. I know you say you know that's not what I meant, I just want to clarify - my issues is with people with no background what so ever e.g. no papers. They could be whiter than Casper and speak like the Queen for all I care, without identification it is sadly a risk that we are taking when letting them into our or any country. I don't like myself for thinking like this, I really wish I could be right there with most selfless people, say "screw it, we should take the risk". I just can't though, I cannot help the feeling that something bad would come of it. No good deed goes unpunished, I guess that's how I feel, that someone always has to pay. As others say as well - there's a chance that they may not find freedom here, plenty of closeted oppression going on in small pockets of this country. It would be terrible if they left one country of hell, only to find it again here for whatever reason.

No it's not ideal. But can't see the cabinet taking a pay cut anytime soon...so it will fall on the shoulders of the rest of us

"Cuts to brnefits are almost all ideological rather than out of immediate financial necessity. A neat con job to make people believe that Britain is in dire financial straits so must punish the most vulnerable, both at home and abroad."

Completely. We still find the money (£7 million annually) to subsidise the Commons bar so MPs can drink cheaper booze, for example. And 10% payrises for our MPs when most of us haven't had a pay rise in years.